燃 rán to ignite
to ignite; to burn; combustion
怎么记住“燃”: 火 fire + 然 so = to ignite. The scout rubs two sticks over the fire pit and says "This grass is so dry, it is ready to ignite."
部件结构
形声 · Meaning + sound
One part gives the meaning, the other gives the sound.
燃 = 火 fire + 然 so
- 火 fire meaning
- 然 so sound
- 𱼀 meat
- 犬 dog
- 灬 fire
The scout rubs two sticks over the fire pit and says "This grass is so dry, it is ready to ignite."
How it came to be
The right part first meant to burn by itself; when it was borrowed for other words, the fire was added.
用法
- A written-register verb for igniting or burning, used in more technical/literary contexts than the everyday verb 烧 shāo: 燃烧 ránshāo (to combust/burn), 点燃 diǎnrán (to light/ignite, e.g. a fire or a fuse).
- Builds compound nouns around fuel and combustion: 燃料 ránliào (fuel), 燃气 ránqì (gas fuel, as in a gas stove or heater), 燃油 rányóu (fuel oil).
- For everyday "burning" (a candle, paper, food burning on the stove) native speakers reach for 烧 first; 燃 shows up more in science, engineering, or figurative writing (激情燃烧 "passion burning").